Known and familiar are systems whose activation is obtained through initiation of detonation or excitation assemblies. An example of such systems is active protection systems which are used for protecting vehicles or sensitive sites from threats that are approaching them (for example—missile, bomb, rocket or shell during flight).
For example, in active protection systems, following after detection of a threat, there is need for a timely and quick launch of an interceptor. Examples of interceptors in such systems are an explosive charge for blast-effects, one or more mechanical component (such as a hit-to-kill kinetic striker or fragmentation or balls containing cluster-charges), or an explosively formed projectile. The interceptor's launch should be executed in high accuracy towards the approaching threat, in a collision course with it or at most, in a direction that will bring the interceptor to the immediate vicinity of the threat (in case that the interceptor is an active interceptor by itself).
Given the short periods of time during which all of the processes of identification, launch and arrival of the interceptor to the threat need to be accomplished, such systems are frequently based on detonation assemblies of explosives or excitation of propellant materials, for quick activation and energy production in a short period of time, thus launching the interceptor to a high acceleration flight, towards the approaching threat.
The need to provide peripheral and sectorial defense on the one hand, and the short time restrictions cited above, as well as the limited maneuverability and guidance capabilities of the various interceptor types (if existing at all) on the other hand, require, on occasion, deployment of an entire array of numerous detonation or excitation assemblies, as said, in a manner that enables activation of specific interceptors from the entire array, based on their preliminary association and direction towards sub-sectors, namely a specific section of the total sectorial defense.
Similarly, also when a single detonation or excitation assembly is used, there is often need to choose the optimal activation or excitation point (or several points of activation or excitation) out of a larger group of potential activation or excitation points, in order to achieve desired directionality of the detonation or activation action, or other useful effect, derived from an educated choice of the excitation point/points.
An active protection system, or any other system that uses activation or excitation as stated above, then faces the challenge to quickly assign the proper interceptors from the array, to the threat in their sector, and to bring about a quick and selective activation of same specific detonation or excitation assemblies, one or more, whose activation will lead to launch of interceptors suitable for facing the threat of the given sector, or to create the desired directionality or other useful effect, which depend on an educated choice of the excitation point/points.
Concurrently, we are dealing with, as said, systems that are based on explosives and thrust materials whose, detonation or excitation assemblies, as known, are based on an initiation chain—serial activation one after the other, of components that are arranged in an escalating order of power, yet in descending order of sensitivity (an example of a typical initiation chain—a detonator, a lead charge and a booster).
Known and familiar is a requirement for securing in a safe state of initiation chain, wherever it is, from unintentional actuation. That, by regular placement of barriers that prevent serial actuation of the components, by imposing physical discontinuations of the initiation or detonation chain, and are removable at the correct timing—from the instant of the system's arming (in order to enable proper operation of the full chain and activation of the explosive or the thrust materials by it). Systems that place such barriers are called ‘detonation safety systems’ or “Safe and Arm Devices” or “SAD” or “S&A devices”.
Given an active protection system which includes numerous detonation or excitation assemblies as said, by nature of things, the system also includes a similar number of detonation safety systems.
All this and more, activation of an active protection system is dependent on detection sensors which detect the threat and its direction of flight. These are detection sensors which, based on the data received from them, enable the assigning, as said, the proper interceptors from the array, to the threat detected in their sector. In any case, as a condition for a quick and selective activation of only said specific detonation and excitation assemblies, one or more, whose activation will lead to launching the interceptors suitable for facing the threat of the given sector, it is required to remove, at the right timing, their detonation safeties. Similarly, this requirement also exists for other systems using activation or excitation of a single charge, but during an educated choice of potential activation/excitation points, to achieve desired directionality of the detonation or activation action, or other useful effect, derived from an educated choice of the excitation point/points.
In some occasions, the active protection system includes numerous sensors which are activated in a manner of detection “layers” (relative to the protected object), for the sake of high probability confirmation of the threat and estimation of the risk that it indeed poses (and in a manner that, by nature of things, reduces the amount of false alarms and the protective ammunition spent on intercepts).
Given a multi-layered array with numerous sensors as said, it is appropriate not to arm the entirety of the detonation or excitation assemblies of the array from the instant of receiving an initial alert alone, and in a manner that from then on, removes all of the detonation safeties from all of the initiation chains installed in the array, thus—exposing the entirety of the detonation or excitation assemblies of the array to risks of involuntary activation.
Thus, in the time that preceded the invention which is the subject matter of this patent application, professionals in the field were challenged to provide a technological solution that will enable quick arming of initiation or detonation assemblies in preparation for their optional initiation, in a manner that reduces their exposure to involuntary activation, and will be implementable in systems with numerous such initiation or detonation assemblies, in a manner that will provide arming ability as said, which is quick and selective—of a specific detonation or excitation assembly, one or more, which is chosen on short notice from the given array, which has, as said, numerous detonation or excitation assemblies.